By Gemma Handy
The historic arrival of the country’s first eponymously named airline in three decades is now just a day away.
Final preparations are underway at the VC Bird International Airport to welcome the inaugural flight of Antigua Airways – which also marks the first direct flight between the twin island nation and West Africa.
The plane is set to land at 8.30am Tuesday as the country marks 41 years of Independence from Britain.
The launch of Antigua Airways was first announced in July. It will be based in Antigua and initially offer flights to Nigeria, Ghana and Canada, with routes to other West African countries slated to be added as operations expand.
The government of Antigua and Barbuda is a part owner in the company and will enjoy 20 percent of any profits generated. The majority shareholders – a Nigerian investment group – will receive the remaining 80 percent.
There has been some scepticism raised about the airline which is apparently being financed by an Abuja-based printing firm called Marvelous Mike Press Ltd. Opposition politicians are among those who have raised questions over the status of the company.
Neither Marvelous Mike or Antigua Airways has responded to Observer’s requests for comment.
The company is said to have a single Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, which has 16 business class and 251 economy class seats.
Meanwhile, last minute repairs have also been carried out at VC Bird International Airport’s old terminal, which ceased operations in 2015 when its new Chinese-built counterpart opened.
Government spokesman, Lionel Hurst, told media on Thursday that the airline was converting an empty space in the building into its offices. Leaks from an overhead pipe were among the things being fixed, he said.
Hurst said the 41-year-old terminal had been a gift from Canada in 1981, the year of Antigua and Barbuda’s Independence.
“It was an important capital investment,” he continued. “We have had to continuously make improvements so that it fits the demands of our tourism.
“Now we are using it for some additional purposes. The hope is that everything will work out right for Antigua Airways as well as the other agencies and institutions that use that building at the moment,” Hurst added.
The new airline has been touted by the government as a major investment coup for Antigua and Barbuda, with the direct link to West Africa said to herald significant economic benefits.
The carrier is also tipped to play a role in boosting regional connectivity, through a yet-to-be-finalised partnership with LIAT 2020.
The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority is planning a celebration for Tuesday’s landmark touchdown, which will see Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez welcome passengers to the twin island nation.
The flight is set to depart Lagos today, before returning to Nigeria on November 6.
Hurst told Observer that the country’s first eponymously named airline was ‘Air Antigua’ which operated low-cost flights to the island out of Newark, New Jersey, for approximately a year circa 1990.